A HISTORY“Until the lion writes his own story, the tale of the hunt
will always glorify the hunter.”
African proverbJuneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with 2000 Federal troops to issue the order that the Civil War had ended and that all slaves were free. This was two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that had become official on January 1, 1863.
Prior to attend the Juneteenth celebration in 2005 that was held in Sedalia, MO, Reverend Wilbur Conway, Arron Haynes, and Linda Smith, met on her big front porch. They discussed doing a Juneteenth celebration in Higginsville. They shared what they knew about Juneteenth and some had attended celebrations in Kansas City, MO, Arrow Rock, MO and in California. The group realized that this would be quite historical if Juneteenth came to this area. The plan was go attend the upcoming celebration at Sedalia and do some research. The Mar-Saline branch of the NAACP sponsored the Sedalia event.
The group returned from the all day event and began to outline a strategy. They ate snacks, drank cold drinks, and swapped at the mosquitoes as they brainstormed how to proceed. Conway put it well when he reflected, “It is important to bring to our community, Higginsville, every meaningful history event that has impacted us as a race and as a people, a people who was contributed so much blood, sweat, and tears until today. The Juneteenth celebration is growing throughout our nation. One day, I hope and pray that it will be as great a celebration as St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and the Fourth of July. We are a deserving people. Amen.”
Each one shared their ideas. It seemed that there definitely had to be a parade and the focus would be on family. It would be a day with no consumption of alcohol and there had to be a focus on education. Smith had been a recent graduate of Lead 2000 and knew that there were over 33, 000 people in the county. Conway and Haynes were past graduates of Lead 2000. She suggested that we approach it from a countrywide basis and include other towns. Haynes came up with the idea that it could rotate between the town that wanted to host the event.
Smith expressed some skepticism. She voiced whether
anyone would show up to help plan an event if a meeting was called. Haynes and Conway never thought in any negative terms. They believed that if “we held the meeting someone would not only show to plan it, but others would come to attend. They also suggested that we have those who lived in the county to make a big effort to invite their families who lived out-of-town to the Juneteenth celebration. It
would be like a big family reunion.
Smith suggested the theme, “Staying Alive in
2005." This would be a great theme to high-
light community, unity, education, family, free-
dom, and culture. Haynes stated that he wanted
to educate those in the county of the challenges
of African Americans in the areas of accessing
health care, justice, political empowerment, and
community involvement.
Conway was most emphatic that he wanted to see it happen in his lifetime. After some discussion, they decided to seek the MarSaline branch of the NAACP for assistance and direction. Haynes and Conway were also co-chairs in starting the Higginsville branch of the NAACP.
The NAACP hosted the initial meeting with the help from Clyde Williams, president of the MarSaline branch. There was a large group of people who came from Higginsville, Lexington, and Odessa. The meeting was held at the Benton Memorial Hall at 19th and Walnut. The group gave us $500 for seed money. These funds provided a means to organize the Celebrity Basketball fund raiser.
The first meeting as a committee occurred on September 9, 2004 at 7 pm at 1806 Walnut, Higginsville, MO.
Meeting Agenda
Opening Prayer
1.Selection of the Coordinating Committee.
a.Selection of chairperson and vice chairperson
b.Selection of secretary and an assistant secretary
c.Selection of treasurer and a vice treasurer (must be a member of the NAACP
d.Selection of the publicity coordinator
e.Introduction of the vendor coordinator –Brenda Haynes*
f.Introduction of the park clean-up coordinator- Robert Sherman*
g.Introduction of security coordinator – Keith Bass*
h.Selection of the events coordinator
i.Selection of the education coordinator
*Some people had been recruited/volunteer to assist in positions
Higginsville volunteers agreed to provide the leadership. Co-participation would also come from the other towns. The co-chairperson would be a person from next year’s host town.
The leadership began to solidify with some members coming forth to volunteer for the needed positions. The 2005 Juneteenth executive committee and volunteer leaders were as follows: Arron Haynes, chairperson, Alvin Walker, vice-chairperson, Linda Smith, secretary, Norman Haynes, treasurer, Reverend Wilbur Conway, events and parade coordinator, Lucille Williams, co-coordinator, Deborah Walker, publicity coordinator, Dale and Deborah Mays, clean-up coordinators, Keith Bass, security coordinator, Marjorie Hannon, assistant secretary, Mable Hawkins, Finnus Johnson, Fred Smith, horseshoe tournament coordinator, Kiree Haynes, Clyde Benton, Patricia Elmore, Bruce Cole, Tammra Cole, Dr. Corrine Conway, Ronald Miller, Yvette O’Dell, Raymond Nichols.
Since the idea of Juneteenth and its history was new to so many, education coordinators were chosen from each town and they are as follows: Linda Smith, Alvin Walker, Rev. W.L. Conway, and Walter Mayberry.
The New Family Life Christian Center and the First Community Banks were additional sponsors of the event.
Prior to the celebration, the education Coordinators, the chairperson, and vice chairperson gave numerous presentations to educate about Juneteenth.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2005 JUNETEENTH
With the help of Peter Adams, the Celebrity Basketball fund raiser was heldat the Lafayette County C-1 High Schooland oSabine Werning, Country Fair chairperson, and the St Paul Baptist Church Youth assisted our concession booth. This was a pre-Juneteenth fundraiser.
The Parade
The parade included many participants, i.e. the Kansas City Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers, Higginsville Twirlettes, the Positive Image group, Caring Christian Clowns, motor cycle clubs, horse clubs, etc.
Leah Richie, great-great niece of the late David A. Strother, Lexington, MO native and the first African American to vote, was our parade grand marshall. Her son, William Richie, M.D., and forensic psychiatrist was also a participant in the parade.
The visitor from the farthest place was from Australia. He was attending a conference on child welfare and had researched special events that would be close to the conference that was held in St. Joseph, MO.
Area businesses bought ads to help sponsor our souvenir booklet.
Deborah Walker created our logo and it inspired us. She helped us to link the past with the present. The visual image was an arm that had broken out of chains of slavery. The logo was put on a special t-shirt that was designed by artist, Keith Conaway.
The Opening Ceremony was held after the parade.
Reverend Everett Hannon, Jr., pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Lexington, MO, gave the keynote message. He is also the first African American minister from our county to participate as a guest chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives. The Second Baptist Church Choir waved the American flags as they sang a rendition of "America, The Beautiful." Other vocalist included the Bass Sisters and Wendolyn Dixon, a gospel singer for major events in Kansas City, MO.
Herman Gant, retired Kansas City School district educator and native of Higginsville, Lafayette Commissioners, State Representative Make McGhee, Reverend Isaish Muita delivered the prayer, mayors from the county, and other dignitaries gave remarks during the opening ceremony.
The visitor from the farthest place was from Australia. He was attending a conference on child welfare and had researched special events that would be close to the conference that was held in St. Joseph, MO.
Jerome Williams, Higginsville native, and Dasani and James provide some of the live entertainment.
Fred Smith and Horseshoe players from Blackburn hosted a horseshoe tournament.
There were a variety of food, clothing, and craft vendors.
Educational Exhibits were housed at the Schwitzkey 4-H Building. The exhibitors were The George Washing Carver Traveling Trunk, Buffalo Soldiers display, Children's Essay & Poster Contest display, Lafayette County Health Department, University of Missouri Extension, Confederate Memorial State Historic Site and Lafayette County Historical Society displays, NAACP, Mount Olive Black Settlement display and presentation by Yvette O'Dell, Battle of Lexington Historic site display featuring info on the Island Mound Scrimmage, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, and the Underground Railroad quilt patch display, Hidden in Plan View display and presentation by Frances Watkins, Black Invention display by Margaret Banty, Pennytown disply provided by Virginia Huston, and Lexington African American History provided Mable Hawkins. MO Conservation Department provide a virtual fishing display.
Free swimming was sponsored by the Higginsville Youth Commission and there was a kiddie
kraft booth.
Evan Williams made a short video and Pat Doak was our official photographer.
There was a volunteer medical team to provide first aid. Loren Alexander, Sheay Williams and a National Guard reservist who didn’t get to receive a thank you letter because he was deployed immediately to Iraq.
Travis Benton helped us order our spectacular Juneteenth banner.
The Higginsville Police, County sheriffs, and Highway Patrol and CERT played an important role for our safety.
Area newspapers gave us great coverage prior to and after the event.
The committee presented a special recognition plaque to Arron Haynes for his outstanding leadership as the committee chairperson.
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